On May 17, 2019, the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT), in partnership with the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA), announced $5.8 million in Safe Routes to School (SRTS) infrastructure grants to eleven communities.  Seven of these eleven winners are EZ Ride’s municipal and school partners, who were awarded a total of $4.2 million.

In Bergen County:

• $210,000 for Berkeley Elementary School in Westwood

In Essex County:

• $1,000,000 for Hawkins 13th Ave School in Newark
• $1,000,000 for Park Avenue Elementary School in Orange

In Monmouth County:

• $500,000 for Bradley Thurgood Marshall Elementary School in Asbury Park
• $275,000 for Highlands Elementary School in Highlands
• $230,000 for Amerigo A. Anastasia Elementary Middle School in Long Branch
• $1,000,000 for River Plaza Elementary School in Middletown

EZ Ride partnered with schools, parents, students, community leaders, police, and other city officials in these communities to identify the barriers that prevented walking or biking in the neighborhood. The schools also documented how students get to and from school – bus, bike, car, walk, or public transit. And EZ Ride prepared a School Travel Plan with recommendations on improving the bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure around the school, which was a requirement for all communities seeking infrastructure grants.

“We believe that the Safe Routes to School Infrastructure Grant will help improve the pedestrian and traffic safety not only for our students but also for our residents. We are a township where residents will be healthier, happier, and better connected when they feel they can travel safely around the town.

Dr. Gerald Fitzhugh II, Ed.D, Superintendent, Orange Public Schools continued, “School district staff, city officials, parents, students, and the EZ Ride bike and pedestrian team collaborated to assess and gather the data for the walkability audit. The Travel Plan Report written by EZ Ride identified the traffic safety issues we noted during the audit and provided specific recommendations for us to implement and to highlight in our grant application. During the process, the entire school community was galvanized around improving pedestrian and traffic safety issues in the township.

We look forward to working further with the City of Orange Township, EZ Ride, and NJ Safe Routes to Schools to develop opportunities for safer travel to our district schools.”

For more information about our bike and pedestrian programs, please contact:

Lisa Lee

(201) 939-4242 ext. 123